Eyewear display system providing vision enhancement

Abstract

An eyewear display system includes a camera coupled to capture an image of an object in a surrounding environment. A projector is coupled to receive the captured image to output a projected image. A polarizing beam splitter optically coupled to receive the projected image and an actual view of the surrounding environment. The polarizing beam splitter is optically coupled to output a combined view of the projected image combined with the actual view of the surrounding environment. The combined image is to be directed to an eye of a user. An intensity controller is optically coupled between the surrounding environment and the polarizing beam splitter to controlling an intensity of the actual view of the surrounding environment received by the polarizing beam splitter.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An eyewear display system, comprising:
 a camera coupled to output a captured image in response to capturing an image of an object in a surrounding environment, wherein the camera includes an optical zoom to adjust a first magnification of the image prior to capturing the image; 
 a projector coupled to receive the captured image to output a projected image; 
 a polarizing beam splitter optically coupled to receive the projected image from the projector, the polarizing beam splitter further optically coupled to receive an actual view of the surrounding environment, wherein the polarizing beam splitter is optically coupled to output a combined view of the projected image combined with the actual view of the surrounding environment, wherein the combined view is to be directed to an eye of a user; 
 an intensity controller optically coupled between the surrounding environment and the polarizing beam splitter to control an intensity of the actual view of the surrounding environment received by the polarizing beam splitter, wherein the intensity controller includes a liquid crystal polarization rotator (LCPR) disposed between a pair of polarizers, wherein a second polarizer in the pair of polarizers absorbs an s-polarization component of light from the actual view of the surrounding environment after the light passes through the LCPR; and 
 a digital processor coupled to receive the captured image from the camera, wherein the digital processor is coupled to digitally scale the captured image to adjust a second magnification of the captured image provided to the projector, 
 wherein the polarizing beam splitter is a first one of a plurality of polarizing beam splitters, wherein the eyewear display system further comprises a second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters optically coupled to receive illuminating light from an illuminating light source, wherein the second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters is adapted to direct the illuminating light to the projector, and wherein the second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters is optically coupled to direct the projected image from the projector to the first one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters, 
 wherein the eyewear display system further comprises a solid taper light tunnel disposed between the illuminating light source and a polarizer, wherein the solid taper light tunnel directs the illuminating light to the polarizer to enter the second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters, 
 wherein a polarization of the projected image is orthogonal to a polarization of the actual view of the surrounding environment in the combined view output by the first one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters that is directed to the eye of the user, and 
 wherein the eyewear display system is adapted to be attached to eyeglasses to be worn by the user. 
 
     
     
       2. The eyewear display system of  claim 1 , wherein the projector includes a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display, wherein the second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters is coupled to reflect the illuminating light to the LCOS display, wherein the LCOS display is optically coupled to receive the reflected illuminating light and in response direct the projected image to the second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters, and wherein the second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters transmits the projected image to the first one in the plurality of polarizing beam splitters. 
     
     
       3. The eyewear display system of  claim 1  further comprises a quarter-wave plate optically coupled to the polarizing beam splitter. 
     
     
       4. The eyewear display system of  claim 3  further comprises a Mangin mirror optically coupled to the quarter-wave plate. 
     
     
       5. The eyewear display system of  claim 1 , wherein the second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters is optically coupled to direct the projected image to the first one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters via transmission. 
     
     
       6. The eyewear display system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mirror coupled to receive the projected image from the first one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters, wherein the mirror is optically coupled to reflect the projected image back to the first one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters, and wherein the mirror is positioned off-set from the eye of the user. 
 
     
     
       7. The eyewear display system of  claim 1 , wherein the polarizer is a first one of a plurality of polarizers, wherein the eyewear display system further comprises a second one of the plurality of polarizers, wherein the second one of the plurality of polarizers is optically coupled between the mirror and the first one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters. 
     
     
       8. A method for providing enhanced vision, comprising:
 capturing an image of an object in a surrounding environment with a camera of an eyewear display system, wherein the eyewear display system is adapted to be attached to eyeglasses to be worn by a user; 
 adjusting a first magnification of the image prior to capturing the image, wherein said adjusting the first magnification comprises adjusting an optical zoom included in the camera; 
 projecting the captured image with a projector, wherein said projecting the captured and adjusted image with the projector comprises projecting the captured and adjusted image with a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display; 
 illuminating the LCOS display with illuminating light directed from a first polarizing beam splitter, wherein said illuminating light is directed from an illuminating light source through a solid taper light tunnel disposed between the illuminating light source and a polarizer, wherein the solid taper light tunnel directs the illuminating light to the polarizer to enter the first polarizing beam splitter; 
 combining the projected image from the projector with an actual view of the surrounding environment with a second polarizing beam splitter, wherein a polarization of the projected image is orthogonal to a polarization of the actual view of the surrounding environment; 
 directing a combined view of the projected image from the projector with the actual view of the surrounding environment to an eye of the user; and 
 controlling an intensity of the actual view of the surrounding environment, wherein said controlling the intensity of the actual view of the surrounding environment comprises adjusting a voltage applied to a liquid crystal polarization rotator (LCPR) disposed between a pair of polarizers, wherein a second polarizer in the pair of polarizers absorbs an s-polarization component of light from the actual view of the surrounding environment after the light passes through the LCPR. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 adjusting a second magnification of the captured image, wherein said adjusting the second magnification comprises digitally scaling the captured image from the camera with a digital processor. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  wherein said capturing the image of the object in the surrounding environment comprises capturing an image of an object in the surrounding environment that cannot be seen clearly by the user. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8  wherein said directing the combined view of the projected image from the projector with the actual view of the surrounding environment to the eye of the user comprises directing the combined view of the projected image from the projector with the actual view of the surrounding environment to a retina of the user.